Stowing apparatus for working cables and the like



R. N. CAMPBELL, JR

Jan. 24, 1967 3,300,154

STOWING APPARATUS FOR WORKING CABLES AND THE LiKE Filed Oct. 21, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

24, 1957 R. N. CAMPBELL, JR 3,300,154

STOWING APPARATUS FOR WORKING CABLES AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 21, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. R 06 W Vi. mm MJW A TTOR N]? Y United StatesPatent Ofifice 3,300,154 Patented Jan. 24, 1967 3,300,154 STOWINGAPPARATUS FOR WORKING CABLES AND THE LIKE Robert N. Campbell, J12, 19Audubon Place, Mobile, Ala. 36606 Filed Oct. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 405,3768 Claims. (Cl. 24254) The present invention relates to means for stowingelongated flexible transmission elements such as cables, hoses, wiresand the like in working condition, i.e., when connected betweenterminals that respectively supply and receive the electrical energy,liquid, gas or other transmitted quantity and which are verticallydisplaced and move substantially vertically relatively to each otherduring such transmission.

A typical example of an installation creating the problem which theinvention essays to solve is a bridge crane in which electric currentmust be transmitted by cable from the vertically fixed bridge to thehoisting spreader frame during the lifting and lowering movements of theframe, and between the spreader-mounted control cab and the controlledvalves, etc., on the bridge and frame, and in which air and hydraulichoses similarly connect the bridge and spreader frame for operatingload-coupling elements, tilting means, brakes, clutches and otherinstrumentalities.

An apparatus of this kind, in which the present invention has been usedwith success, is shown in Tantlinger Patent No. 3,042,227, in which aspreader frame coupled to the body of a highway truck trailer is liftedand lowered over the side of a ship. A control cab mounted on thespreader frame is raised and lowered by hoisting cables and is connectedto the bridge by a set of the kind of transmission elements which mustbe paid out at the cabspreader unit descends from the fixed bridge andmust be stowed as the unit rises toward the bridge.

Prior to adoption of the present solution the problem was attempted tobe solved by winding the cables, hoses, wires, etc., hereinafterdesignated generically flexible transmission elements, or simplyelements, on reels or drums, but this involved difficulties in thetakeoff and the winding, involving the use and maintenance of slip ringsor brushes (for electrical elements), slip joints and the equivalent forfluid transmitting elements, and other relatively complex and frequentlytroublesome expedients.

The present invention provides a stowing container which is fixed on thelower of the two units that move vertically relatively to each other,i.e., on the control cab in the foregoing example, and which is soshaped as to stow a length of element in convoluted or coiled condition,in combination with two special securing clamps, one on the containerand one fixed on the other unit, i.e., the bridge in the illustrativeexample, which hold the ends of the element against twisting, leavingthe length of element between the fixed ends free, upon issuing from thecontainer, to take a twist which will be maintained in the paid-outportion and will automatically assert itself in such part of thatportion as may be re-directed into the container, thereby causing there-entering length of element automatically and smoothly to re-assumecoiled form in the container.

The foregoing application of the subject of the invention is of coursesuggestive and exemplary merely, the invention being useful inconnection with many other mechanical installations and operations wherea flexible elongated transmission element such as a cable, hose, wire orthe like must be connected in working condition between terminal unitswhose vertical spacing is subject to change.

A preferred embodiment of the invention which has been thoroughly testedin actual use and found satisfactory and hence which is at presentpreferred is shown in the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is afront elevational view of a typical installation of the apparatus-on thespreader-framemounted control cab and supporting bridge crane carriageof a containership transfer hoist of the kind disclosed in TantlingerPatent No. 3,042,227;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view on a larger scale, showing thestowing container or hopper member of the apparatus in axial section;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view, on the same scale as FIG. 2, showingthe complete apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view, taken on the line 44 ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view taken through one side of thehopper member showing how the flexible element coils in the annularstowage space;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the guide member;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of another form of guide member; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of still another form of guide member.

In FIG. 1 the reference numeral 1 designates the carriage whichtransverses the jib 2 of a bridge crane 3, running on rails 4 andsupporting, by cables 5, a spreader frame 6 which makes separableconnection with the bodies 7 of highway trailer trucks stopped atshipside. The cables 5 are operated to hoist the bodies 7 into and outof position on the trailer chassis and into and out of position in thehold or on the deck of the ship 8 on which the bridge crane is mounted.During these operations the vertical spacing of the carriage 1 and thespreader frame 6 is constantly changing, as is also the effective lengthof the various flexible elongated elements that extend between the twofor the transmission of electric power, hydraulic and air pressure,etc., between the carriage 1 and the control cab 9 which is mounted onthe frame 6.

As will be understood from the introductory explanation of theinvention, the purpose of the new apparatus is to provide for simple,effective and automatic wind-up or stowing of such transmission elements(hereinafter generically designated cables) during reduction in thevertical spacing of the virtual terminals on the cab and carriage as theframe 6 rises and to provide for equally simple, effective and automaticpaying out of the elements as that spacing increases on lowering of theframe.

This is accomplished by the combination of a special form of hopper 10mounted on the cab or at least in fixed relation to it, a clampingdevice 11 which is mounted on the carriage, and an intervening guide 12which is positioned in fixed relation to the hopper and slightly aboveit for directing the cable into and out of the hopper during ascendingand descending movements of the hopper.

The hopper 10 is essentially a circular container having an outercylindrical wall 20, an inner wall 22 which defines a concentriccylindrical shape of smaller diameter and is capped by a conical top 24,and a bottom 26 spanning the annular space 27 at the lower ends of thetwo cylinders. All these parts may be made of appropriately heavy sheetmetal welded or otherwise united to form a stout rigid unit which may beconveniently mounted in fixed position on the cab 9 (or contiguous toit) as by The clamping device 11 is best made as a simple stand ard 40having its base fixed to the carriage and having a top arm projectinghorizontally out over the hopper 10 and terminating in a clamp 42adapted to receive and securely hold the cable 5%) against any kind ofmovement, as will be hereinafter explained.

The guide 12 is basically an eye or loop element disposed over and closeto the hopper and having its aperture aligned substantially with thehopper axis or the apex of the conical top 24 for passing the cable andguiding it into and out of stowed relation with the hopper, as will alsobe hereinafter explained. The guide is best made in the form of anupright 60 upstanding from the cab or the hopper, as by being welded toone of the legs 28, with the eye element horizontally outstanding andpreferably adjustable vertically on the upright, as by the sleeve andsetscrew arrangement 62.

An important feature of the hopper is a clamping device 52 fixed in thebottom of the annulus 27 which may be, as shown in FIG. 5, simply aU-bolt, for the purpose of fixing the cable 50, at what may be regardedas one of its ends, securely against any kind of movement, just as theclamp 42 holds what may be regarded as the other end of the cableagainst any kind of movement.

Actually, of course, these portions of the cable that are held by theclamps 52 and 42 are not the ends of the cable. However, they arevirtual ends, insofar as the present apparatus is concerned. From thesevirtual ends the cable extends to the units that it connects fortransmission of electrical power, fluid pressure or the like.

The portion of the cable 50 between the two clamps 52 and 42 isconvoluted within the annulus 27 of the hopper 10 and extended upwardlyfrom the top of the hopper through the guide 12 to the clamp 42. Thecable may be installed, with the hopper at the topmost position of itsrange of movement, shown in FIG. 3, by fishing the cable through a holein the hopper outer side wall, as indicated at 70 in FIGS. 3 and 4,coiling the cable in stacked convolutions in the hopper annulus, leadingit through the eye 12, and finally securing its upper virtual end of theclamp 42.

The coiling operation is performed without imposing any force or stresson the cable except such as is necessary to lay it in place inconvolutions in the annulus. However, the free end of the cable ismaintained free, being as yet not secured by the clamp 42, so that isundergoes turning movement on its own axis, i.e., it twists one fullturn for each convolution that becomes laid down in the annulus. Whenthe cable is fully stowed, as indicated in FIG. 3, the virtual upper endis secured in the clamp 42, so that thereafter the cable is firmly held,at both virtual ends, against any turning on its own axis, i.e., againsttwisting.

Thus, when the cable is pulled out from the enclosing annulus, bydescent of the hopper, the twist is maintained in it, being manifestedin the portion extended from the top of the hopper and up to the clamp42 as a helix of high pitch, as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 1. And, whenthe space between the hopper and the clamp 42 decreases, by ascent ofthe hopper, the stress of this twist operates to lay the cableautomatically and naturally down in the annulus in its original stowedcondition, with the cable convoluted in coils and unstressed by reasonof conversion of the twist stress into coiled condition.

In a sense it may be said that the portion of cable paid out from thehopper and extending between the upper clamp 42 and the topmostconvolution in the hopper has a coiling memory stressed into it and thatthis coiling memory functions to convert the stress into the laying ofcoils in the hopper as the paid out portion of cable falls through theguide back toward the hopper or, what amounts to the same thing, as thehopper rises to take the paid out portion back in.

It will be recognized that various modifications and substitutions maybe made in the individual elements of the combination constituting theinvention.

Thus, for example, FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 depict three different types ofguide that may be used. The simple eye or loop form is shown at 12 inFIG. 6. FIG. 7 shows a fixed helical coil of heavy rod stock terminatingin flat circular end turns so as to provide a sort of skeletonizedcylinder. FIG. 8 shows a cylindrical sleeve 82 of pipe stock.

Dimensions are of little importance, but it may be stated that in one ofthe operative embodiments a pipe section guide of 12 inch diameter pipeis used in connection with a cable of 1 /2 inch diameter.

The proportions shown in FIG. 5 are preferred. That is to say, it isadvantageous to space the inner and outer walls of the hopper, formingthe annular space 27 that receives the coils of cable, so as to providean intervening distance equal to somewhat less than twice the cablediameter. In this way the adjacent turns of cable are disposed atstaggered elevations and are prevented from jamming and binding, andthus free paying out is facilitated.

I claim:

1. Stowing apparatus for an elongated flexible transmission element ofthe class consisting of cables, hoses, wires and the like disposed inconnecting relation between points fixed respectively on two stationswhich are movable vertically relatively to each other, one of saidstations being normally above the level of the other, said apparatuscomprising a stowing hopper fixed on the lower of said two stations andproviding an upright cylindrical annulus formed of radially spaced apartinner and outer walls adapted to contain convolutions of the element andhaving means adjacent its bottom for securing the lower end portion ofthe element and holding it against twisting, a superjacent clampingdevice fixed on the upper of said two stations, movable therewith,gripping the other end portion of the element and holding it againsttwisting, and a guide mounted on the lower of said two stations abovethe hopper for passing the intervening portion of the element andguiding it back into convolutions in the hopper when the two stationsmove toward each other.

2. Stowing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the guide issubstantially axially aligned with the hopper.

3. Stowing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the hopper isformed with a substantially conical top rising from the inner wall ofthe annulus.

4. Stowing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including a substantiallyconical top mounted on the inner wall of the annulus, with said guidepositioned directly above the vertex of the cone.

5. Stowing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the guide isadjustable through a range of different elevations above the hopper.

6. Stowing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the radial width ofthe annulus is less than twice the diameter of the element wherebyadjacent convolutions of the element coiled in the annulus are staggeredin relatively non-binding relation.

7. Stowing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including a side standardadjacent the hopper the guide being adjustably mounted on the standardfor setting at various elevations above the hopper.

8. Stowing apparatus for an elongated flexible transmission elernent ofthe class consisting of cables, hoses, wires and the like disposed inconnecting relation between points fixed respectively on two stationswhich are spaced one above the level of the other and are movablevertically relatively to each other, said apparatus comprising a stowinghopper fixed on the lower station and providing an upright cylindricalannulus having radially spaced apart inner and outer walls adapted tocontain convolutions of the element and having means adjacent its bottomfor securing the lower end portion of the element and holding it againsttwisting, and a superjacent clamping device fixed on the upper stationmovable therewith, gripping the other end portion of the element andholding it against twisting, whereby, as the two stations movevertically relatively to each other, said two end portions of theelement are maintained at all times against relative axial rotation andthe intermediate portion of the element between said fixed pointsundergoes increasing torsion as the stations move in separation anddecreasing torsion as the stations move toward each other.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,299,785 10/1942Barrett 254-175.5 X 5 2,334,141 11/1943 Zierden 137-35528 2,871,0571/1959 Bernyk 137-355.28 X 2,930,541 3/1960 Crum 242128 3,101,916 8/1963Haugwitz 242-128 FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

10 LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Examiner.

1. STOWING APPARATUS FOR AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE TRANSMISSION ELEMENT OFTHE CLASS CONSISTING OF CABLES, HOSES, WIRES AND THE LIKE DISPOSED INCONNECTING RELATION BETWEEN POINTS FIXED RESPECTIVELY ON TWO STATIONSWHICH ARE MOVABLE VERTICALLY RELATIVELY TO EACH OTHER, ONE OF SAIDSTATIONS BEING NORMALLY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE OTHER, SAID APPARATUSCOMPRISING A STOWING HOPPER FIXED ON THE LOWER OF SAID TWO STATIONS ANDPROVIDING AN UPRIGHT CYLINDRICAL ANNULUS FORMED OF RADIALLY SPACED APARTINNER AND OUTER WALLS ADAPTED TO CONTAIN CONVOLUTIONS OF THE ELEMENT ANDHAVING MEANS ADJACENT ITS BOTTOM FOR SECURING THE LOWER END PORTION OFTHE ELEMENT AND HOLDING IT AGAINST TWISTING, A SUPERJACENT CLAMPINGDEVICE FIXED ON THE UPPER OF SAID TWO STATIONS, MOVABLE THEREWITH,GRIPPING THE OTHER END PORTION OF THE ELEMENT AND HOLDING IT AGAINSTTWISTING, AND A GUIDE MOUNTED ON THE LOWER OF SAID TWO STATIONS ABOVETHE HOPPER FOR PASSING THE INTERVENING PORTION OF THE ELEMENT ANDGUIDING IT BACK INTO CONVOLUTIONS IN THE HOPPER WHEN THE TWO STATIONSMOVE TOWARD EACH OTHER.